Different, but equal.

I don't think that the genders are equal...yet. Yes, there have been improvements, but the fact remains that there are still many inequalities...

i agree. also, i'm assuming you're only talking about Westernized countries. elsewhere, i think it's pretty obvious that they often are not.

Obviously in many middle-eastern countries the sexes are not equal, but even in this country, most politicians and suchlike are men. We more or less have equal potential though. A woman could basically do whatever job she wanted.

They get paid less for jobs that men do. and have fewer job oppertunities than men.

well your society, the world interpret it how you will
and DrD even if you are talking it about western societies yes it may appear so but a lot of women still do the majority of house work, childcare and work. Yet most men work, perhaps help with housework in paritcular DIY and help with dicipline and education of the child and that is it. Not that i'm a feminist or anything i'm just merely commenting

statistically speaking, the answer is a resounding "no" all around the world. pretty sad in this day and age.

Actually, if you want to get down to it, society is making things unequal by bending rules to accomodate women, as Cinders so eloquently put it in the related Pick.

So maybe I should change my answer to no, it is not equal because things are being bent to favor women who should not have certain jobs to begin with....

Equal opportunity does exist for the sexes, in general, in the western world.

On a case by case basis, discrimination still exists, but that's true for every prejudice. Women have as much freedom as a man, and if she feels she's being treated unfairly she's allowed to speak out, protest, or lobby against it.

In general, like TweenaCat mentioned, women and men can pursue whatever life paths they want to.

I have a friend whose life ambition is to be a housewife. Is there anything wrong with that?

Not a damned thing wrong with that... but in America they are made to feel inferior.

i know it's off topic but you really have a thing against America don't you?
i would be perfectly happy being a housewife but admittedly i would not be bragging about it as i would feel that people would be looking down on me

that's exactly what i mean about the roles not being valued equally! a man would be even more ostracized for staying home because it's seen as a primarily female role.. the same can be said for women in positions of power. ever noticed the sad lack of female representation in government? how many CEOs of major corporations are women? heads of states? military leaders?

think about how society views powerful women. Hillary Clinton is seen as some sort of power-hungry gargoyle, Margaret Thatcher got flack for being too masculine, even business women like Anna Wintour are denounced for not being feminine enough - because power is "supposed" to belong to the men. most would say that these women have to behave in characteristically masculine ways in order to obtain, and gain respect in, these positions.

sure, these options are availble for women, but that doesn't mean getting there isn't twice as hard as it would be for a man, or that when they get to the top, they aren't looked down on by society for being "unfeminine".

agree with DrD

diffrent but equl women do have less oppertunities ouside the home but inside the home they shape the society

OK, clarifying question:

We are talking western world, right? Europe and North America?